Purchase of Integrity-Paahi Solutions is firm's 18th transaction in sector

Deloitte is expanding the national reach of its cyber-security practice with the purchase of the Vancouver-based Integrity-Paahi Solutions Inc. (IPS).

The professional services giant purchased the information security firm to provide local support to its clients in western Canada.

“IPS provides us with instant scale in Western Canada and establishes a single place for our clients to access the full suite of solutions,” said Nick Galletto, leader of Deloitte’s cyber-risk services in Canada, in a press release.

Deloitte is capitalizing on a larger trend in Canadian business. A study revealed Canada was woefully behind when it came to adopting cyber security practices and technologies. Out of the 18 countries evaluated, Canada was among the top three for slowest adopters of effective security methods, according to the survey contracted by international data storage firm EMC and conducted by Vanson Bourne, a technology market research firm.

Deloitte has grown their cyber risk practice with a series of strategic investments in Canadian cyber-security firms. This deal marks the firm’s 18th transaction in the last five years. In 2014, Deloitte purchased the Calgary-based cyber-security company Urgentis Digital Crisis Solutions Inc. Since then, Deloitte’s Cyber risk practice has become three times the size it was two years ago.

IPS is looking at the Deloitte acquisition as an opportunity to grow, giving them access to larger talent pools, greater resources and a consumer base that now spans nation wide.

“Recently we felt like we were at a crossroads,” said Karim Ladha, president and CEO of IPS, in a press release. “Stay the course or take the exciting opportunity to join Deloitte? We chose to join Deloitte, enabling us to grow and expand our offering.”

Joining Deloitte also affords IPS access to a global network of cyber intelligence centres that help firms around the world secure networks, as well as detect and respond to threats.